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A tip of the cap
As someone who wears a baseball hat about as much as I possibly can, I think it's the perfect time right now to give it a lil' tip toward Alex Ovechkin.
Yes, this is the same space where you read that I didn't think Ovechkin was as talented as Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin -- the same space where Ovechkin's 112 points and 65 goals were erroneously ignored.
Just a few more nuggets: Ovechkin was a plus-28 and Malkin a plus-16 during the regular season, although Ovechkin's minus-1 and Malkin's plus-3 during the first round offered a slight contrast.
Ovechkin had 22 power-play goals during the regular season to Malkin's 17, but perhaps what's most important here ... Ovechkin actually contributed during his first-ever playoff series.
Honestly, who wasn't even a bit skeptical after Ovechkin had notched only one goal in the first four games against Philadelphia? I know I chalked it up to Alex being a playoff neophyte and that this postseason would be a learning experience for him.
But Ovechkin learned ... quickly.
I still think that his Game 4 performance -- although it didn't involve scoring a single point -- was the seminal moment for him in the series. I think this was the point where he realized what playoff hockey was all about, how his operating space was at a premium and every move he made was closely monitored.
I wouldn't be surprised if I read somewhere that Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen tried to follow him into a bathroom stall somewhere. And Ovechkin still made things happens. Malkin didn't. Crosby didn't.
As is so often compared here on this blog, Pittsburgh was bounced out of the first round last season by the Ottawa Senators in only five games, and like Washington, the Penguins were a young team that hadn't tasted a whole lot of the playoffs.
Malkin and Crosby were shell shocked, and the player that I said was better than Ovechkin totaled only four assists in a frustrating playoff collapse. Crosby was a little bit better, totaling three goals and two assists, but neither player was as impressive, effective and persistent as Ovechkin.
After being shadowed, hit and pestered the entire series by Timonen and others, Ovechkin finally followed his game-winning goal in Game 1 with a two-goal performance during a pivotal Game 6 win at Wachovia Center.
I've compared these players several times now, and I've also listened to loads of criticism -- some justified, some not -- of my pegging Malkin above Ovechkin. Though I don't for a second think that I'm qualified to make this determination, I have to say, I'm much more impressed with Ovechkin's playoff debut than that of Evgeni Malkin or Sidney Crosby.
Quick tag out: As I was working on this entry, I picked up a couple things courtesy of ESPN.com. First, the Capitals have signed coach Bruce Boudreau to a long-term deal. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise, but it's certainly a necessity.
Secondly, along with Chicago's Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom has been announced as a finalist for the Calder Trophy, which will be awarded on June 12 to the NHL's top rookie.
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